Thinking Out Loud
by Dinosaur-Ghosts
Summary: AGE OF ULTRON SPOILERS Set after the end of the movie, with Bruce's journey to return to Natasha, and the mindset that he had to get himself into for that return. SONGFIC Brutasha/WidowxHulk R&R!


**A/N: Okay! Last fic for today, we'll see how inspired I am later this week or next, though. I've been getting a lot of random ideas for this pairing lately and I have a feeling I may get some more.**

 **Anyway, this fic is after the end of AoU and centers around Bruce trying to come back to Natasha. I also decided- last minute -that I wanted to incorporate a song since I haven't done that in awhile, and I thought this one fit. Once again, I don't own any of the MCU characters or the franchise, just my fanficiton ideas! I also don't own Ed Sheeran's songs- in case you thought I did...**

 **EDIT: I had a review about this being against "guidelines". I checked the profile and saw that it was not an admin but some killjoy law enforcer that I wish not to name. I have deleted the review and now taken out the lyrics because of what they put, only because I'm sure they would flag me and have me account or story taken away.**

 **Now I don't usually rant about reviews or get mad about them- because in the end if I'm happy with what I put up then I don't really give two flying flips about what reviews say -but this one really bugged me for a new reason. I've had multiple fanfic accounts for going on ten years now? I've also done multiple song fics. Never have I had someone actually tell me I CAN'T do that. If it were an admin I wouldn't care, but this is an account that thinks they have some god-given job to enforce rules that people get away with every day, and ones that aren't hurting anybody. Then I figure out that it's actually a GROUP of them doing it. So, I've changed the story for my personal safety- so I can continue writing things I love -but as an argument for what might be against the rules or not: once upon a time fanfiction was against a lot of rules too. Now look where we are?**

 **So, I suggest you listen to Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud" to make better sense of this fic, if not you can still understand it, I'm sure, but I apologize if not.**

 **Enjoy and don't forget to review!**

 **Thinking Out Loud**

The song overhead was doing nothing for Bruce's mood, and he knew that drinking was not in his best interest. Still, the song did nothing but bring red hair and blue eyes to the forefront of his mind. He almost wanted to slam his fist through the speaker above his perch at the end of the bar, but that would do nothing but tempt the Other Guy to come out and play. He tried to focus on the letter he was attempting to write, but he ended up copying the lyrics form overhead.. Bruce felt even the Other Guy sigh as the song continued overhead; even his angry alter ego knew that leaving was something they would both regret for a long time. He finally gave up trying to finish the letter, and sat back to listen as the song faded into its crescendo.

"I'll just keep making the same mistakes" stuck with Bruce as the song continued on; if that didn't speak to his situation, he wasn't sure what did. First Betty, and now Natasha... When would the running stop? He couldn't keep trying to protect the people he loved, sooner or later the Big Guy would find a moment of weakness. As if he knew that Bruce was thinking of him, the Hulk gave a low growl of recognition, before Bruce tried to stifle it as not to green out here in a nowhere bar in the middle of Fiji. But the Other Guy's mind was focusing on the second half of the lyrics Bruce's own mind was so focused on. "Hoping that you'll understand..."

Bruce was confused as to why the Other Guy was so focused on that part, when he knew as much as his "punier" side that they were making the same mistakes again and again. It wasn't until he had sat through another few songs that he realized what the Big Guy was getting at; Natasha understood... Betty had never been able to understand, never been able to truly love him monsters and all. But Natasha had her own monsters, her own reasons for wanting to hide away, like Bruce. Natasha did understand why he made the same mistakes, and was more likely to wait for him to figure them out.

"For once, you may be onto something..." Bruce grinned as he heard a growl of what he was taking as thanks, from the back of his mind. He reached into his bag- a care package from Tony once he had let his "science boyfriend" know where he was, and that he was safe -and yanked out his trusty laptop. He started an email, and this time words weren't the problem; he attached an MP3 of the song he had heard a few moments ago, and then wrote a single sentence:

 _I'm stupid, but you understand when I make the same mistakes... can you wait a little longer?_

 _-B (And the Other Guy too)_

 **()()()()()()()()()()()()()**

Natasha didn't get his message until a week later; she and the new Avengers were on their first official mission- a dead end lead for Bucky that ended up becoming a "destroy the stupid Hydra facility" mission. The group was working well together, and Natasha hated to admit it, but they almost didn't need her any more. She was really just sticking around because she didn't know what else to do without her favorite dork around. She had even taken to staying in his room- at the former Stark tower -when she wasn't on site at the Avenger's facility.

She was returning to Stark tower now, after the mission that had become a waste of time but good training for the new group. Falcon had offered her a ride, but she had declined, preferring to take her own black Nissan. The few hours it took to drive from the facility to the city was good for her mind to unwind, and it gave her an excuse to think about Bruce a little bit. It had been about three months now since he had disappeared to where Fury thought was Fiji, and Natasha wasn't so sure. She missed him terribly, and even sleeping in his room- stealing his shirts for pajamas and wrapping herself in the scent of him most nights -didn't help as much as she thought it would.

It wasn't until she made her way up to the tenth floor- home to Bruce's living quarters and the private lab he used when he and Tony weren't on the top floor one -and said a half hearted hello to F.R.I.D.A.Y. that she realized her computer was flashing with a new message. She figured it was another one of Tony's stupid youtube videos- his attempts at making her feel better about losing Bruce -and sat down with a sigh to check it out. She was more than surprised when she found it was from the very person she was thinking about. She didn't put on the MP3 right away, rather took a moment to read- then re-read -the short message he had left her. Only after pondering over that for awhile, did she decide maybe the song he attached explained more than his message had.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y. would you play the song attached to this email?" Natasha asked," On the room speakers, not the computer ones, please..."

"Of course Agent Romanoff," F.R.I.D.A.Y.'s electronic and slightly lilted voice said. Natasha leaned back on the office chair as the song began. She listened to it twice, then three more times before she thought she understood Bruce's message.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y. put this on repeat please," Natasha said swinging back around to her computer screen to write a reply," Even if it annoys Tony."

"As you wish, ma'am," F.R.I.D.A.Y. said, and if she hadn't been an AI, Natasha would have sworn there was a chuckle in her voice. She smiled at the thought, then turned to the task at hand. She didn't add a song for Bruce, but rather gave him a short and sweet reply:

 _I didn't ever stop waiting, Bruce... You and the Big Guy know I'll be here when you come home._

 _Just come home to me soon?_

 _-Nat (and your Science Boyfriend, who also misses you)_

 **()()()()()()()()()()()()()**

It took him two more months to make his way to New York. He wasn't proud to say how many times he had called Tony to book a flight, and then cancelled a day later when his nerves got to him. Finally the former Iron super hero told him that he had booked him a flight and if he wasn't on it, he would personally send War Machine and Rodney to pick him up, which had given Bruce no choice but to come home to Stark tower.

Home. God, he had read those words every day since Natasha had sent them back, and he still felt shivers of pleasure at knowing that he was as home for her as she was for him. He had made Tony swear that he wouldn't tell Natasha that he was finally coming home; he wanted to surprise her, let her know that he was ready, for real. She was a saint, waiting on him this long, but he intended to let her know how much he appreciated it. So, one long flight and a quiet ride from the airport later, he was left standing in the middle of his smaller lab. She wasn't among the notes, journals, and computer equipment, but Tony swore that Nat was staying with them this week since Cap was on a covert mission looking for Bucky, and Wanda was taking a hand at running the new Avengers.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y. would you mind playing the song we talked about in the car?" Bruce asked in the softest voice he could muster. Instead of answering, the AI started up the song that had started his email to Natasha, so many months ago. He dropped his lone bag and then shed his coat as well. He had showered before his flight, shaved, and tried his best to look more presentable than he had been while hopping from village to village near Fiji. Somewhere in his mind he knew that Natasha wouldn't care, but he was nervous, he had never come back to someone once he ran away. Midway into the second verse Bruce was standing in the doorway to his bedroom, and studying the sleeping form of Natasha Romanoff, sleeping fitfully and wearing only a large t-shirt of his. He moved quietly and sat beside her sleeping form, reaching forward to push a red curl from her eyes.

"Bruce..." She murmured in a voice that was still more asleep than awake. He brushed his fingertips down her cheek and around to her chin, savoring the soft texture of her skin against his calloused hands. Suddenly his hand was grabbed and he was flipped over onto his ass, Natasha glaring at him. She had shoulder flipped him and landed straddling his hips. Her eyes weren't entirely awake yet, but as the sleep faded to wakeful comprehension, she gave him a confused look." Bruce?"

"Hi Tasha..." He said a bit breathless form the sudden flip.

"Did you not learn that sneaking up on me was a bad idea?" She cried. Then, as if realizing for the first time that he was here, she dropped his arm and covered her mouth in a very unlike her gasp." Holy shit, you're here... You're back... I mean- you are back right? This isn't a dream? Or you're not leaving again?"

"I'm back," Bruce said leaning up into a sitting position. Now Natasha was sitting on his lap, her legs straddling either side of his hips, and it was hard not to notice that the only think between them was his thin button-up, jeans, and the t-shirt of his that she was wearing. Natasha was still studying him as if he would disappear in the next few seconds, and reached up carefully to touch his cheek." Tasha, I'm not going anywhere..."

"Promise?" Natasha asked in a voice that was very unlike her: vulnerable. Bruce realized that his being away had taken a larger toll on her than he had ever wanted, and he reached up to touch her own cheek. He guided her down a little so that he could kiss her gently- far gentler than the kiss she had given him before shoving him into the crater that Ultron had created with his attempt at a meteor. This kiss was soft, open, and a question; his lips moved gently and softly against hers, taking the lead at the same time as asking her for the pace she wanted to take.

It all felt so familiar, even if they had only shared the one kiss before; Bruce felt as if he had spent his entire life kissing Natasha Romanoff, or that he could spend a life time doing it. She started to take over after a moment, deepening the kiss and wrapping her arms around Bruce's neck to hold him to her. He allowed her to take over, chuckling slightly- which she only used as an opening to swipe her tongue into his mouth and twist around his, which ultimately stopped his laughter. They kissed back and forth for a little over half an hour, and the song was left on repeat- courtesy of F.R.I.D.A.Y. -the entire time. Soon after, however, they found themselves laid together on the bed, just listening to the song. Bruce's shirt had gotten unbuttoned somewhere in the heated make out session, and Natasha's sleep shirt was hanging down one shoulder, as she lay across his chest, staring up at the ceiling as the music swirled around them.

"I do, you know..." Bruce said softly as the song began again.

"Do what, Bruce?" Natasha asked, her mind calming again, and working its way back towards sleep. Bruce looked down at her, running a hand over her red curls and then down her spine to settle at the small of her back.

"Love you..." He said in a voice that told Natasha how hard it was for him to admit this." Do you still... 'adore' me?"

Natasha didn't respond for a long moment, and Bruce was scared that she had either fallen asleep or that she really didn't feel the same. But just as he was beginning to worry that he had overstepped his boundaries, she looked up to meet his gaze and her eyes were overflowing with emotion.

"I still adore you, Bruce," Natasha said, her voice overflowing with the same emotion. Bruce didn't push it any further, instead tugging her closer so their chests were flush against one another. They lay like that for another long silence, and Bruce heard one more thing before falling into oblivion." I'm so glad you came home to me..."

It was good to be come...

 **()()()()()()()()()()()()()**

 **A/N: I think I'm almost more happy with this one than I was with "Take Me Away" just because I got to a) use one of my favorite songs and b) dig a little deeper into why Bruce and Natasha work so well. Anyway, I hope this was good, please review or favorite and such!**


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